The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-12-24
A TALK WITH HowELLs.
New York Graphic.

COU AVAA 0ioPhAO'
 When W. D. Howells was in New York few days ago, taking part in the Authors Readings" an admirer, who was also friend, asked the nov elist how he wrote his novels and what were his special methods of work. His answer, as jotted down as he spoke, is interesting.
 "l do not write any thing" said the novelist, "by rule or model. If did l would not be working out every thing in natural way. Improbable characters are not my forte, nor do I like them. believe that probability and realism should be the chief aims in work of fiction. And to better bring out this result I generally ad- here to plots that are not complicated, but simple and probable. Such meth ods of literary work as have are very simple. An idea occurs to me for a story, and if it grows upon me care- fully nurse it and think of it until have evolved something tangible and real in other words, l never begin a novel until have 8 solid foundation. From the nucleus of good idea I gradually shape my characters and lay my scenes and plots. Many im- agine that writing books, and espe- cially novels, is easy work. tell you that it decidedly is not. It is work and hard work. When I was young man had an idea that if I could only write my first one or two novels it would be easy work after that, and no special effort would be required to reel off short story day or novel week. But those fancies are over, and l am now grappling with the reality. To write a novel in fashion of any good requires thought, requires work, and is no play, 1 tell you. The public look upon the successful author as man who sits in a cosy library before an open fire, with fancy slip pers, smoking his cigar and reading the hundreds of letters of praise that flow in by every mail. l tell you, they don't know what work it is to produce novel and produce it all we'll so that it will be read. To many an author it means sleepless nights, days of worry, hours of disappoint- ment spent in work that is afterwards destroyed.
 "With me novel writing is task. It is genuine labor and very arduous. It is not so easy as some people are apt to imagine, and they would very quickly find it out for themselves if they once made an effort to write a really creditable story that amounts to anything. Of late, speaking for myself, have not worked so hard as formerly did. Once thought noth- ing of writing sixteen out of the twenty-four hours, but I have got over that. It doesn't pay, and no man can stand it either in his health or his work. It will tell on both sooner or later. Now, I am actually at my writing table not more than three hours day, generally from 9 a. m. until noon, and find that I do much better work than when used to grind out thousands of words per day. do not mean to say, however, that three hours per day constitutes all the work I do. Oh, no! The hardest work I do is when I am sit ting alone in my room, thinking of a certain character not clear to me. It is easy to put it on paper, I find, once 1 have made up my mind what to put there; but it is often the thinking that bothers me the most. So you see, my dear sir, we all have to work hard in this world, you in one way, I in the other. but don't ever helieye any one who tells you that to be a novelist or story writer is an easy profession. Ask any of my literary brethren if it is, and they'll tell you precisely what I have."